Impact of early or delayed antihypertensive medication on cardiovascular outcomes for newly detected hypertension in general health screenings: A nationwide population-based study in Korea.

Aims: Hypertension is a significant risk factor for myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and death. While antihypertensive medication is known to reduce these risks, the optimal timing for initiation remains controversial. This study aims to evaluate and compare the outcome risks associated with early versus delayed antihypertensive treatment in a general health screening setting.

A comparative study of oxidative stress, vascular calcification, and volume status in non-dippers and dippers receiving maintenance hemodialysis.

Background: Hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular mortality in patients with end-stage kidney disease, with 80% to 90% of dialysis patients affected. Many patients with hypertension exhibit a non-dipper blood pressure pattern that is influenced by various factors. This study investigated the relationship between blood pressure patterns, volume status, vascular diseases, and oxidative stress markers.

Efficacy and safety of novel polyethersulfone dialyzers: a multicenter, randomized, crossover study.

Background: The continuous rise in healthcare costs associated with hemodialysis has become a growing concern in South Korea, where hemodialysis is the predominant treatment modality for end-stage kidney disease. Currently, all dialyzers are imported, underscoring the need for domestically manufactured alternatives. This study aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of a domestically produced novel polyethersulfone dialyzer.

Spatially resolved transcriptomic profiling for glomerular and tubulointerstitial gene expression in C3 glomerulopathy.

Background: Complement 3 (C3) glomerulopathy (C3G) is a rare but clinically significant glomerulopathy. However, little is known about its transcriptomic profile. We investigated the substructure-specific gene expression profile of C3G using the recently introduced spatial transcriptomics technology.

Association Between Healthy Dietary Patterns and Chronic Kidney Disease in Patients with Diabetes: Findings from Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2019-2021.

: Although a healthy dietary pattern is a modifiable lifestyle factor in the prevention of chronic kidney disease (CKD), studies that investigate the association between a healthy diet and prevalent CKD in patients with diabetes, using the Korean Healthy Eating Index (KHEI), are lacking. : This cross-sectional study included 1991 patients with diabetes from the eighth Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2019-2021. A higher KHEI indicated healthier eating habits.

New-onset mental disorders increase among patients with metabolic diseases after the COVID-19 pandemic.

There is limited information on new-onset mental disorders in adults with metabolic diseases following the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we aimed to examine the changes in mental health following the COVID-19 pandemic and identify factors associated with the development of new-onset mental disorders. Among 90,580 UK Biobank participants diagnosed with COVID-19 between Jan 31, 2020 and Oct 31, 2022, those who completed both baseline and follow-up mental health questionnaires in 2016-2017 and 2022-2023 were included in the analysis.

Postoperative mid-to-long-term adverse event prediction model for patients receiving non-cardiac surgery: An extension of the Simple Postoperative AKI RisK (SPARK) model.

Background: Postoperative acute kidney injury (PO-AKI) is a critical complication of adverse kidney outcomes, both short and long-term. We aimed to expand our pre-existing PO-AKI prediction model to predict mid-to long-term adverse kidney outcomes.

Methods: We included patients who underwent major non-cardiac surgeries from the original SPARK cohort, two external validation cohorts, and a temporal validation cohort.

A deep-learning algorithm using real-time collected intraoperative vital sign signals for predicting acute kidney injury after major non-cardiac surgeries: A modelling study.

Background: Postoperative acute kidney injury (PO-AKI) prediction models for non-cardiac major surgeries typically rely solely on preoperative clinical characteristics.

Methods And Findings: In this study, we developed and externally validated a deep-learning-based model that integrates preoperative data with minute-scale intraoperative vital signs to predict PO-AKI. Using data from three hospitals, we constructed a convolutional neural network-based EfficientNet framework to analyze intraoperative data and created an ensemble model incorporating 103 baseline variables of demographics, medication use, comorbidities, and surgery-related characteristics.

Longitudinal Income Dynamics and Risk of End-Stage Kidney Disease in Type 2 Diabetes: A South Korean Population-Based Cohort Study.

Rationale & Objective: The prevalence of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) continues to rise, with socioeconomic status (SES), particularly income, having associations with ESKD risk among individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study examined the longitudinal association of income changes with ESKD risk among nonelderly adults with T2DM in South Korea.

Study Design: Population-based retrospective cohort study.

Soluble ST2 is an early marker and treatment target for hypertensive nephrosclerosis signatured in glomerular mesangial cells.

The absence of a biologic marker for hypertensive nephrosclerosis (HN) remains a challenge. This study aimed at exploring the relationship between sST2 and early HN and examining their interaction in glomerular mesangial cells. The serum sST2 levels of healthy controls (HC; n=9), patients with HN (n=15), and patients with lupus nephritis (LN; n=27) were measured using ELISA.

Identification of conserved gene expression changes across common glomerular diseases by spatial transcriptomics.

Background: Glomerular diseases encompass a group of kidney diseases that may share common gene expression pathways. Here, we analyzed glomerular-specific gene expression profiles across various glomerular diseases.

Methods: We performed spatial transcriptomic profiling using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded kidney biopsy specimens of controls and patients with five types of glomerular diseases using the GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler.

Causal Effects From Kidney Function to Plasma Proteome: Integrated Observational and Mendelian Randomization Analysis With >50,000 UK Biobank Participants.

Purpose: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) causes detrimental systemic effects, including inflammation or apoptosis, which lead to substantial morbidity and mortality. However, the causal effect of reduced kidney function on systemic proteomic signatures is incompletely understood.

Methods: We performed an integrated Mendelian randomization (MR) and observational analyses to identify the causal association between kidney function and plasma protein levels, based on 1815 plasma protein profiles in 50,407 UK Biobank participants and the CKDGen Phase 4 genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis for the genetic instruments of eGFR.

Acute kidney injury after non-cardiac major surgery: has it reduced?

Background: It remains unclear whether the incidence of post-operative acute kidney injury (PO-AKI) has been reduced despite the recent emphasis on its early recognition and prevention in clinical practice. We aimed to investigate the trend in the incidence of PO-AKI and to identify the associated factors affecting its changes.

Methods: We gathered clinical data from patients who underwent non-cardiac major surgeries at three referral hospitals from 2005 to 2020.

Association between obstructive sleep apnea and albuminuria in Korean adults: a nationwide populationbased study.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular and metabolic complications. Albuminuria, an early marker of kidney damage, is a proposed risk factor for OSA and its adverse outcomes. The study explored the association between OSA and albuminuria in Korean adults.

Potential benefits of hormone replacement therapy on cardiovascular and kidney outcomes in postmenopausal women with chronic kidney disease.

Background: Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is recommended for alleviating vasomotor symptoms or preventing bone loss in postmenopausal women. This study aimed to investigate the impact of hormone replacement therapy on major adverse cardiovascular events, kidney failure, and mortality in women with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods: This population-based cohort study analyzed data from the National Cancer Screening Program and the national health examination of South Korea.

Associations of MRI-derived kidney volume, kidney function, body composition and physical performance in ≈38 000 UK Biobank participants: a population-based observational study.

Background: Kidney volume is used as a predictive and therapeutic marker for several clinical conditions. However, there is a lack of large-scale studies examining the relationship between kidney volume and various clinicodemographic factors, including kidney function, body composition and physical performance.

Methods: In this observational study, MRI-derived kidney volume measurements from 38 526 UK Biobank participants were analysed.

Evaluation of risk stratification for acute kidney injury: a comparative analysis of EKFC, 2009 and 2021 CKD-EPI glomerular filtration estimating equations.

Background: The adoption of the 2021 CKD-EPIcr equation for glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimation provided a race-free eGFR calculation. However, the discriminative performance for AKI risk has been rarely validated. We aimed to evaluate the differences in acute kidney injury (AKI) prediction or reclassification power according to the three eGFR equations.

Performance evaluation of Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equations for estimated glomerular filtration rate compared to inulin clearance in Koreans.

Background: A race-free glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimation equation has recently been developed. However, the performance of the new Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equations needs to be evaluated in Asian populations.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study at a single center in South Korea.

Non-indicated initiation of proton pump inhibitor and risk of adverse outcomes in patients with underlying chronic kidney disease: a nationwide, retrospective, cohort study.

Objective: Evidence related to the risk of kidney damage by proton pump inhibitor (PPI) initiation in patients with 'underlying' chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains scarce, although PPI use is generally associated with acute interstitial nephritis or incident CKD. We aimed to investigate the association between PPI initiation and the risk of adverse outcomes in patients with CKD in the absence of any deterministic indications for PPI usage.

Design: Retrospective observational study.

Associations of metabolic variabilities and cardiovascular outcomes according to estimated glomerular filtration rate in chronic kidney disease: a nationwide observational cohort study.

Background: The impact of baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) on the risk of adverse outcomes according to metabolic parameter variabilities in chronic kidney disease has rarely been investigated.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective nationwide cohort study using the National Health Insurance System data in Korea from 2007 to 2013 to identify individuals with three or more health screenings. The metabolic components variability was defined as intraindividual variability between measurements using the variability independent of the mean.

Cardiovascular and Mortality Risks in Young Health Screening Examinees With Marginal Estimated GFR.

Introduction: Additional evidence is necessary to interpret kidney function parameters in young adults, particularly in those with marginal estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) values. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between eGFR and adverse outcomes in general young adults.

Methods: We performed a nationwide retrospective cohort study using the health-screening database of South Korea.

Menopausal hormone therapy and risk for dementia in women with CKD: A nationwide observational cohort study.

Aim: The risk for dementia is increased in postmenopausal women. The incidences of premature menopause and dementia have increased in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The potential benefits of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) on cognitive function may be a more critical issue for patients with CKD.